Little boots | Article about Little boots by The Free Dictionary Little boots | Article about Little boots by The Free Dictionary Also found in: Dictionary , Thesaurus , Wikipedia . Caligula (kəlĭg`yo͝olə), A.D. 12–A.D. 41, Roman emperor (A.D. 37–A.D. 41); son of Germanicus Caesar Germanicus Caesar , 15 B.C.–A.D. 19, Roman general, son of Drusus Senior. He was adopted (A.D. 4) by his uncle Emperor Tiberius. Germanicus fought (A.D. 8) in Pannonia and Dalmatia and in A.D. ..... Click the link for more information. and Agrippina the Elder Agrippina the Elder , d. A.D. 33, Roman matron; daughter of Agrippa and Julia and granddaughter of Augustus. She was the wife of Germanicus Caesar and accompanied him on his provincial duties. After her husband's death (A.D. ..... Click the link for more information. . His real name was Caius Caesar Germanicus.

As a small child, he wore military boots, whence his nickname [caligula=little boot]. On the death of Tiberius Tiberius (Tiberius Julius Caesar Augustus) , 42 B.C.–A.D. 37, second Roman emperor (A.D. 14–A.D. 37). He was the son of Tiberius Claudius Nero and Livia Drusilla and was originally named Tiberius Claudius Nero. He campaigned (20 B.C.) in Armenia, became (19 B.C. ..... Click the link for more information. the army helped make Caligula emperor. Shortly afterward he became severely ill; his subsequent strange and cruel actions led to the wide belief that he was thereafter insane. A more recent, alternative hypothesis blames his behavior on a desire to humiliate and destroy Rome's aristocracy. In any case, Caligula earned a reputation for ruthless and cruel autocracy, and torture and execution became the order of the day. He was responsible for serious disturbances among the Jews, and he nearly caused a rebellion in Palestine by attempting to erect a statue of himself in their temple.

He was assassinated by a tribune of the Praetorian Guard and succeeded by Claudius I Claudius I (Tiberius Claudius Drusus Nero Germanicus) , 10 B.C.–A.D. 54, Roman emperor (A.D. 41–A.D. 54), son of Nero Claudius Drusus Germanicus and thus nephew of Tiberius. When Caligula was murdered (A.D. ..... Click the link for more information. . Bibliography See biographies by J. P. V. D. Balsdon (1934) and A. Winterling (2011); A. A. Barrett, Caligula: The Corruption of Power (1996). Caligula Interesting Facts about the Roman Empire I Interesting Facts about the Roman Empire I Posted In: Ancient Civilizations 9/2/12 By: Yona Williams The Roman Empire played a significant role in the expansion and advancement of the Western civilization. When it was at its height, the Empire covered more than 2 million square miles that occupied land at the Rhine River and continued onto Egypt, and stretched from Britain to Asia Minor.

In this article, you will learn more about the Roman Empire. The Circus Maximus When it came to entertainment, the ancient Romans gathered at the Circus Maximus to view chariot racing Ã¢â‚¬â€œ among other things. Julius Caesar would rebuild the attraction so that it could accommodate 150,000 people. During the early empire, it underwent renovations which allowed an extra 100,000 people to attend the events. Denied Last Wishes One of the greatest poets in ancient Roman days was Vergil, who wrote the infamous Aeneid. However, he did not want the rest of the world to see this manuscript and left instructions that when he died, the work should be burned. He did not want it released since he did not have time to add his finishing touches. However, the Roman emperor Augustus ignored his final wishes and did not destroy the tale. He instead, had others polish the work, and then ordered it published. Little Boots When Gaius Caesar was a young child, he traveled throughout Rome with his parents, famous Roman general Germanicus and his wife, Agrippina. Along with the legions of Rome, they were a hit with the people.

The soldiers nicknamed the boy Caligula, which translates into "Little Boots." The nickname stuck with the child into adulthood, but the things that he accomplished were no little feat. Caligula became the Emperor of Rome from 37 to 41 AD, but there was nothing likable about his reputation. The man was a ruthless leader known for his cruelty, torture, and excessive execution. Others believed that he was insane. For instance, Roman historian Suetonius wrote that Caligula appointed his favorite horse named Incitatus as one of his consuls. The people hated the leader so badly that one of his own guards assassinated him. The Life of a Consul Horse Caligula's horse was treated like royalty when the leader was alive, and even after his death, Claudius (the successor of Caligula) kept the horse in a manger made out of ivory, where it drank from a golden goblet filled with wine. Ancient Roman Cooking In 62 AD, the first volume of recipes to exist was by the Roman Apicius. The book was called De Re Coquinaria, and gave descriptions of the feasts that the Emperor Claudius ate.

Slaughtered Animals at the Colosseum In 80 AD, the opening games of the Colosseum in Rome lasted for 100 days, and involved the killing of more than 5,000 animals. Some of the victims that lost their lives were lions, elephants, tigers, elks, hyenas, hippopotamuses, and giraffes. Crowds between 45,000 and 50,000 would gather to see the entertainment unfold at the arena. Clickbank Name: The Roman Empire: in the First Century. The Roman Empire. Emperors. Caligula | PBS Bust of Caligula Seen as a welcome breath of fresh air when he took the throne, Caligulaï¿½s (12 ï¿½ 41 AD / Reigned 37 ï¿½ 41 AD) eccentricities soon became terrifying and he was murdered after just five years in power. After the unhappy years of purges and treason trials, Rome welcomed its new emperor.

The youngest son of the war hero, Germanicus, Gaius Caesar had grown up around soldiers and his nickname, Caligula, meaning "little boots," had stuck. High hopes As a child, Caligula had suffered enormously. His mother had been exiled and his two elder brothers executed on flimsy treason charges. As the grown mascot of Rome's army and the only surviving son of a charismatic father, many hoped Caligula would breathe new life into Rome. At first, Caligula lived up to expectations. He brought back many people exiled by Tiberius and ceremoniously burned the records of the treason trials held by Sejanus. Mad or bad? Seven months after taking power, however, Caligula fell ill. Although he recovered, he began to act very strangely. Was he mad or just pretending? Some believe that he suffered from epilepsy, but historians are divided. Dressed in silk robes and covered in jewels, Caligula pretended he was a god. He forced senators to grovel and kiss his feet and seduced their wives at dinner parties. Dangerous to know Then his eccentricities became more murderous.

He restored the hated treason trials of his predecessor, executing both rivals and close allies, including the head of the Praetorian Guard, his personal protection squad. At other times, his cruelty was more random. In one instance, he was about to sacrifice an animal as a sacred offering to the gods. He raised his mallet to kill the animal and brought it down hard. At the last moment, however, he turned and struck a priest standing nearby, who died instantly. The situation gets worse All this time, Caligula was spending vast quantities of money. His extravagance soon emptied Romeï¿½s treasury, which Tiberius had greatly increased. Still spending, but now short of cash, he began blackmailing leading Roman families and confiscating their estates. In 40 AD, he led an army north into Gaul, robbing its inhabitants before marching to the shore to invade Britain. Just as the army was about to launch its attack, he ordered them to stop and gather seashells. He called these the spoils of the conquered ocean. Meanwhile, Caligula still wanted to become a god. The same year, he ordered his statue to be erected in the Temple at Jerusalem.

This would have been highly controversial in a region already prone to revolt. Luckily, Herod Agrippa, who ruled Palestine on behalf of Rome, managed to persuade Caligula to change his mind. A solution is found His behavior was making Caligula seriously unpopular among Romeï¿½s elite. Plots against his life soon became commonplace. In 41 AD, four months after he returned from Gaul, he was murdered by his closest advisors, including members of his Praetorian Guard. To prevent reprisals, they also killed his wife and daughter. Dead but certainly not mourned, Caligula was succeeded by his uncle, Claudius , the most unlikely of emperors.

Where to next: Religion in Ancient Rome ï¿½ Jews in Roman Times Life in Roman Times ï¿½ Soldiers 7 Things You May Not Know About Caligula - History Lists History Lists October 9, 2012 By Jennie Cohen Share this: 7 Things You May Not Know About Caligula Author 7 Things You May Not Know About Caligula URL Google One of history’s most iconic bad guys, Caligula ruled Rome for just four years but exhibited enough cruelty and lunacy during his brief reign to live in infamy. Or did he? Turns out that most of what we know about the notorious emperor comes from highly suspect sources. That’s because Suetonius and Dio, who wrote the most scathing accounts of Caligula’s madness, lived decades after their subject’s time and based their works on legend. Below, explore seven facts about Caligula that are (probably or possibly, at least) true. Caligula wasn’t his real name. Think of it as the ancient equivalent of miniature Nikes and tuxedo-imprinted onesies: Even in Roman times, parents liked to proudly dress their progeny in tiny versions of grownup gear.

And so, when the respected general Germanicus brought his son Gaius on campaign, the tyke sported soldier’s footwear, or caligae, scaled down to his size. (Some scholars think his wife Agrippina, granddaughter of the Emperor Augustus, chose the getup to emphasize her family’s imperial pedigree.) Either affectionately or mockingly, Germanicus’ troops called the boy “Caligula,” meaning “Little Boots” or “Booties.” The nickname stuck, but Gaius reportedly hated it. His mother was one tough lady. Growing up, Agrippina the Elder had a close relationship with her grandfather, the Emperor Augustus, who personally oversaw her education. After marrying Germanicus, she defied tradition by accompanying him on his military campaigns in Germania, reportedly acting as an adviser and diplomat. When Germanicus died under suspicious circumstances, Agrippina boldly accused one of his rivals of poisoning him. A prominent figure in political circles, she also spoke out against Augustus’ successor Tiberius, whom she hated. All this rabble-rousing didn’t sit well with the emperor, who had Agrippina flogged—supposedly until she lost an eye.

She then starved herself to death while in prison, four years before her son Caligula came into power. Reports of his incest were greatly exaggerated. It was Suetonius who first published claims that Caligula committed incest with his three sisters. (The Roman historian added that these trysts even occurred during banquets, as guests and Caligula’s wife gathered around.) But Suetonius wrote “The Lives of the Caesars” in 121 A.D., 80 years after Caligula was assassinated at age 28 by members of the Praetorian Guard. Earlier chroniclers who actually lived under Caligula, namely Seneca and Philo, make no mention of this type of behavior despite their harsh criticism of the emperor. And Tacitus, during a lengthy diatribe in which he accuses Caligula’s sister Agrippina—wife of the Emperor Claudius—of incest with her son, never implicates her brother. He may not have built his famous floating bridge, but he did launch pleasure barges in Lake Nemi.

According to Suetonius, Caligula in his infinite profligacy once constructed a temporary floating bridge across the Bay of Baiae just so he could ride triumphantly from one end to the other. No traces of the stunt have ever materialized, so most historians dismiss it as myth. However, evidence of the emperor’s extravagant lifestyle has surfaced at Lake Nemi, where workers salvaged two massive pleasure barges—complete with marble décor, mosaic floors and statues—in the late 1920s and early 1930s. One of the wrecks included a lead pipe bearing the inscription “Property of Gaius Caesar Augustus Germanicus.” A fire caused by Allied shells largely destroyed the ships in 1944. He set in motion the conquest of Britain. Caligula is often remembered as a selfish and capricious ruler whose ineptitude weakened the Roman empire during his four-year reign. But if his leadership skills were so abysmal, some scholars have argued, how did he wind up annexing new provinces, expanding westward and formulating a feasible plan to take over Britain?

Although Caligula got no further than the English Channel and was murdered soon after, his preparations for the invasion would allow Claudius to begin Rome’s successful conquest of Britain in 43 A.D. If Caligula was indeed crazy, a physical ailment might have been to blame. These days, many historians reject the notion that Caligula terrorized Rome with his unbridled madness, talking to the moon, ordering arbitrary executions and trying to make his horse a consul. For one thing, his fellow lawmakers would likely have whisked him out of power for such conduct. But assuming the much-maligned emperor was the loon his chroniclers describe, some scholars have suggested that an illness made him come unhinged—possibly temporal lobe epilepsy, hyperthyroidism or Wilson’s disease, an inherited disorder that can cause mental instability. The most (in)famous depiction of Caligula’s life is still banned in Canada and Iceland. In 1979 the film “Caligula,” directed by Tinto Brass and starring Malcolm McDowell, shocked the world with its explicit portrayal of the emperor’s cruel and salacious escapades.

It was the first major motion picture that juxtaposed segments featuring respected, mainstream actors with scenes that were essentially pornographic. To this day, the highly controversial movie remains banned in some countries. Tags Tiberius | Roman emperor | Britannica.com Roman emperor Alternative Titles: Tiberius Caesar Augustus, Tiberius Claudius Nero, Tiberius Claudius Nero Caesar Augustus, Tiberius Julius Caesar Augustus Tiberius Tiberius Claudius Nero Caesar Augustus Tiberius Julius Caesar Augustus Marcus Claudius Marcellus Tiberius, in full Tiberius Caesar Augustus or Tiberius Julius Caesar Augustus, original name Tiberius Claudius Nero (born Nov. 16, 42 bc—died March 16, ad 37, Capreae [Capri], near Naples), second Roman emperor (ad 14–37), adopted son of Augustus , whose imperial institutions and imperial boundaries he sought to preserve. In his last years he became a tyrannical recluse, inflicting a reign of terror against the major personages of Rome . Marble bust of Tiberius.

© kmiragaya/Fotolia Background and youth Tiberius’s father, also named Tiberius Claudius Nero, a high priest and magistrate, was a former fleet captain for Julius Caesar . His mother, the beautiful Livia Drusilla , was her husband’s cousin and may have been only 13 years old when Tiberius was born. In the civil wars following the assassination of Julius Caesar , the elder Tiberius gave his allegiance to Mark Antony , Caesar’s protégé. When Augustus , Caesar’s grandnephew and heir, fell out with Antony and defeated him in the ensuing power struggle, the elder Tiberius and his family became fugitives. They fled first to Sicily and then to Greece, but by the time Tiberius was three years old an amnesty was granted and the family was able to return to Rome. Tiberius as a young man, marble bust found in Egypt in 1896; in the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, … Courtesy of the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, Copenhagen In 39 bc Augustus had the power, if not yet the title, of emperor.

Attracted by the beauty of Livia, who was at that time pregnant with a second son, Augustus divorced his own wife, who was also pregnant, and, forcing the elder Tiberius to give up Livia, married her. The infant Tiberius remained with his father, and, when the younger brother, Drusus , was born a few months later, he was sent to join them. At the death of his father, Tiberius was nine years old, and, with Drusus, he went to live with Livia and the emperor. The two boys and the emperor’s daughter, Julia , between them in age, studied together, played together, and took part in the obligatory ceremonials of temple dedication and celebration of victories. They were joined by their cousin Marcellus , the son of Augustus’s sister, Octavia. In the absence of a clear law designating Augustus’s successor as emperor, all three boys were trained accordingly. They were instructed in rhetoric , literature, diplomacy , and military skills, and soon they also began taking a ceremonial role in the affairs of state. As oldest, Tiberius was the first to do so.

In the triumph following Augustus’s victory over Cleopatra and Antony at Actium, the 13-year-old Tiberius rode the right-hand horse of Augustus’s chariot in the procession. Though not a striking figure, he conducted himself well. Britannica Stories Leap Second Serious by nature, he had become a shy youth, though he was sometimes called sullen. His great talent was application. With the best teachers in the empire at his disposal and, above all, as a participant in life at the palace, the centre of the civilized Western world, he learned rapidly. By age 14, Tiberius was used to dining with kings of the empire, to conducting religious services over the heads of powerful men five times his age, and even to seeing his own form in marble statues. Years in the shadow of Augustus Tiberius was not handsome. As a teenager he was tall and broad-shouldered, but his complexion was bad. His nose had a pronounced hook, but that was typically Roman. His manner was disconcerting. He had a slow, methodical way of speaking that seemed intended to conceal his meaning rather than make it plain. But he was diligent.

He may not have known he would be emperor, but he cannot have doubted that he would be at least a general at a rather early age and thereafter he would be a high official in the government of Rome. In 27 bc, when Tiberius was 15 years old, Augustus took him and Marcellus to Gaul to inspect outposts. They experienced no fighting, but they learned a great deal about how to rule the marches, keep fortifications intact, and keep garrisons alert. When they returned, Augustus gave Marcellus his daughter Julia as wife. Structures of Government: Fact or Fiction? Then Tiberius himself married. Love matches were infrequent in imperial Rome, but Tiberius’s marriage to Vipsania Agrippina was one. She was the daughter of Marcus Agrippa, Augustus’s son-in-law and lieutenant. Besides his love for his wife, and for his brother, Drusus, now growing into manhood, he was occupied with important work. His first military command at age 22, resulting in the recovery of standards of some Roman legions that had been lost decades before in Parthia, brought him great acclaim.

As a reward he asked for another active command and was given the assignment of pacifying the province of Pannonia on the Adriatic Sea . Tiberius not only conquered the enemy but so distinguished himself by his care for his men that he found himself popular and even loved. When he returned to Rome, he was awarded a triumph. Britannica Lists & Quizzes Editor Picks: Exploring 10 Types of Basketball Movies Tiberius’s happy years were coming to an end, however. His beloved brother, Drusus, broke his leg in falling from a horse while campaigning in Germany. Tiberius was at Ticinum, on the Po River , south of what is now Milan, 400 miles away. Riding day and night to be with his brother, he arrived just in time to see Drusus die. Tiberius escorted the body back to Rome, walking in front of it on foot all the way. He also had to give up his wife, Vipsania, the other person he loved. Augustus’s daughter Julia had become a widow for the second time.

Her first husband, Marcellus, had died, and the emperor had married her to Agrippa (who, as Vipsania’s father, was Tiberius’s father-in-law). When Agrippa died in 12 bc, Augustus wanted her suitably married at once and chose Tiberius as her third husband. Tiberius had no more choice than his father had had when Augustus decided to marry Livia. Tiberius was as obedient as his father. He divorced Vipsania and married Julia. Tiberius’s new wife has come down in history with a reputation for licentiousness. It is not certain how much of the reputation she deserved. Roman historians often dealt in gossip, inventing scandal when there was none; but in Julia’s case they had good reason for their opinion. When Julia married Tiberius, he was 30. She was 27, twice a widow, the mother of five children (not all surviving). She was pretty and light-minded and liked the society of men. She did not get along with her mother-in-law (who was also her stepmother), Livia, and after the first few months she tired of Tiberius.

It is certain that she committed adultery, and this presented Tiberius with an immense problem, not only personal but also political. A law of Augustus himself required a husband to denounce a wife who committed adultery. But Julia was the emperor’s beloved child, and, as Augustus knew nothing of her vices, to denounce her would be to wound him, and that was dangerous. Connect with Britannica Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram Pinterest With no good course of action to follow, Tiberius asked for and received fighting commands away from Rome. When once in Rome between battles, he chanced to see Vipsania at the home of a friend. She had, at Augustus’s orders, been remarried to a senator. Tiberius was so overcome with sorrow that he followed her through the streets, weeping. Augustus heard of it and ordered Tiberius never to see her again. Although Augustus heaped honours on Tiberius, they did not compensate for Julia’s behaviour. In 6 bc Tiberius was granted the powers of a tribune and shortly thereafter went into a self-imposed exile on the island of Rhodes , leaving Julia in Rome.

Tiberius was now 36 years old and at the pinnacle of his power. He was capable of ruling an empire, conducting a great war , or governing a province of barbarians. In Rhodes he had nothing to do, and all of his ability and strength appear to have turned inward, into strange and unpleasant behaviour. Although the histories of Tiberius’s reign—written either by flatterers, like his old war comrade Velleius Paterculus , or by enemies—are not wholly trustworthy, there can be no question that a change took place in Tiberius at this time. What emerged was a man who seemed interested only in his own satisfactions and the increasingly perverse ways to find them. On Rhodes Tiberius became a recluse—unassuming and amiable at first, resentful and angry later on. Though Tiberius had left Rome of his own free will, daring the emperor’s wrath, he could not return without Augustus’s permission. Augustus withheld that permission for the better part of a decade. Eventually, Livia secured proofs of Julia’s many adulteries and took them to Augustus, who was furious.

Under his own law she should have been executed, but he did not have the heart for that; instead, he exiled her for life to the tiny island of Pandateria. But even then Tiberius was not recalled. There were three young men whom the emperor appeared to favour as heirs, all sons of Julia. One of them, Postumus, reportedly no more than a boor, fell into disfavour with Augustus and was sent into exile with his mother. The other two, Lucius and Gaius, were clearly candidates to succeed. But in 2 bc Lucius died in Massilia (Marseille), and the emperor relented. He called Tiberius back to Rome. By ad 4 Tiberius was in possession of all his honours again, and in that year Gaius was killed in a war in Lycia. Tiberius had become the second man in Rome. Augustus did not like him, but he adopted him as his son. He had no choice, and he was growing old. Tiberius was the least objectionable successor left. Trending Topics World War II Tiberius became proud and powerful. His statues had been torn down and defaced while he was in Rhodes.

Now they were rebuilt. He was given command of an army to quell Arminius , who had destroyed three Roman legions in Germany in ad 9; he succeeded wholly. He was succeeding at everything now, and in ad 14, on August 19, Augustus died. Tiberius, now supreme, played politics with the Senate and did not allow it to name him emperor for almost a month, but on September 17 he succeeded to the principate. He was 54 years old. Reign as emperor Although the opening years of Tiberius’s reign seem almost a model of wise and temperate rule, they were not without displays of force and violence, of a kind calculated to secure his power. The one remaining possible contender for the throne, Postumus, was murdered, probably at Tiberius’s orders. The only real threat to his power, the Roman Senate , was intimidated by the concentration of the Praetorian Guard , normally dispersed all over Italy , within marching distance of Rome. Tiberius, statue in the Louvre, Paris. Giraudon/Art Resource, New York Apart from acts such as these, Tiberius’s laws and policies were both patient and far-seeing.

He did not attempt great new conquests. He did not move armies about or change governors of provinces without reason. He stopped the waste of the imperial treasury, so that when he died he left behind 20 times the wealth he had inherited, and the power of Rome was never more secure. He strengthened the Roman navy. He abandoned the practice of providing gladiatorial games. He forbade some of the more outlandish forms of respect to his office, such as naming a month of the calendar after him, as had been done for Julius Caesar and Augustus. There were, to be sure, occasional wars and acts of savage repression. Tiberius’s legions put down a provincial rebellion with considerable bloodshed. In Rome itself, on the pretext that four Jews had conspired to steal a woman’s treasure, Tiberius exiled the entire Jewish community . The most ominous and least defensible aspect of Tiberius’s first years as emperor was the growth of the practice called “ delation .” Most crimes committed by well-to-do citizens were, under Roman law, punished in part by heavy fines and confiscations.

These fines contributed in large part to the growth of the imperial treasury, but the money did not all go to the fiscus. Because there were no paid prosecutors, any citizen could act as a volunteer prosecutor, and, if the person he accused was convicted, he could collect a share of the confiscated property. These volunteers, called delatores, made a profitable career of seeking out or inventing crime. Many of the prosecutions were based on rumour or falsified evidence, and there were few Romans who were so honoured or so powerful that they did not need to fear the attack of the delatores on any suspicion, or on none at all. In ad 23 Tiberius’s son Drusus died. He had not been particularly loved by his father, but his death saddened Tiberius. From then on he spared less and less thought to the work of empire. More and more he delegated his authority in the actual running of affairs over to the man he had entrusted with the important command of the Praetorian Guard, Sejanus . Before long Tiberius was emperor only in name.

Ironically, the death of Drusus, the event that brought Sejanus to power, may have been Sejanus’s own doing. Apparently Sejanus had seduced the wife of the younger Drusus, Livilla, and induced her to become his accomplice in murdering her husband. The evidence is not absolute and has been questioned by many historians, but it was not questioned by Tiberius. In ad 27, at age 67, Tiberius left Rome to visit some of the southern parts of Italy. En route he paused to go to the island of Capri . His intention appears to have been only to stay for a time, but he never returned to Rome. It is the remaining decade or so of Tiberius’s life that has given rise to the legend of Tiberius the monster. It seems probable, to begin with, that Tiberius, never handsome, had become repulsively ugly. First his skin broke out in blotches, and then his complexion became covered with pus-filled eruptions, exuding a bad smell and causing a good deal of pain. He built himself a dozen villas ringing Capri, with prisons, underground dungeons, torture chambers, and places of execution.

He filled his villas with treasure and art objects of every kind and with the enormous retinue appropriate to a Caesar: servants, guards, entertainers, philosophers, astrologers, musicians, and seekers after favour. If the near-contemporary historians are to be believed, his favourite entertainments were cruel and obscene. Even under the most favourable interpretation, he killed ferociously and almost at random. It is probable that by then his mind was disordered. Tiberius had not, however, lost touch with the real world. He came to realize just how strong he had made Sejanus and how weak he had left himself. In ad 31 he allowed himself to be elected consul of Rome for a fifth time and chose Sejanus as his co-consul. He gave Sejanus permission to marry Livilla, the widow of Tiberius’s son. Now Sejanus not only had the substance of power but its forms as well. Golden statues were erected to him, and his birthday was declared a holiday. But Tiberius had come to fear and mistrust him.

With the aid of Macro, Sejanus’s successor as commander of the Praetorians, Tiberius smuggled a letter to the Senate denouncing Sejanus and calling for his execution. The Senate was shocked and taken aback by the swift change, but it complied instantly—perhaps moved by the justice of Tiberius’s charges or by the strength of the Praetorian Guard. Apparently Tiberius now reached a peak of denunciation and torture and execution that lasted for the remaining six years of his life. In the course of this reign of terror his delatores and torturers found evidence for him of the murder of his son, Drusus, by Livilla and Sejanus. Many great Roman names were implicated, falsely or not, and while that inquisition lasted no one on Capri was safe. Tiberius’s chief remaining concern for the empire was who would rule it when he was gone. There were few living successors with any real claim, and Tiberius settled, as Augustus had done before him, on the least offensive of an undesirable lot.

His choice was Gaius Caesar, still a young boy and known by the nickname the Roman legions had given him when he was a camp mascot, Caligula , or Little Boots. Caligula, a great-grandson of Augustus through Julia and her daughter, had a claim to the throne as good as any. If his morals and habits were less than attractive, Tiberius did not seem to mind. “I am nursing a viper in Rome’s bosom,” Tiberius observed, and named Caligula his adopted son and successor. In the spring of ad 37, Tiberius took part in a ceremonial game that required him to throw a javelin. He wrenched his shoulder, took to his bed, became ill, and lapsed into a coma. His physicians, who had not been allowed to examine him for nearly half a century, now studied his emaciated body and declared that he would die within the day. The successor, Caligula, was sent for. The Praetorian Guard declared their support for the new emperor. The news of the succession was proclaimed to the world. Then Tiberius recovered consciousness , sat up, and asked for something to eat.

The notables of Rome were thrown into confusion. Only the Praetorian commander, Macro , kept his head, and on the next day he hurried to Tiberius’s bed, caught up a heap of blankets, and smothered Tiberius with them. Assessment As an infant Tiberius had been a fugitive and then a pawn. As a man he had been a popular and victorious general and then an exile. He came to supreme power already growing old. When he died, he left the Roman Empire prosperous and stable, and the institution of the principate was so strong that for a long time it was able to survive the excesses of his successors. Without him the later history of Rome might have been less colourful, but probably it would also have been far shorter. Emperors at University of Louisiana at Lafayette - StudyBlue StudyBlue Which emperor liked to fight as a gladiator? Commodus Which emperor wished for peace, but spent his whole reign fighting? Marcus Aurelius Which emperor was in love with a man who drowned in the Nile? Hadrian Which emperor was thought as the high point of the Roman Empire? Hadrian Who was the second Spanish Roman Emperor? Hadrian Which Roman Emperor was from first from Spain?

Trajan Who was the first non-Roman Roman Emperor? Trajan Which Dynasty was in place during the period of stability leading into the period of the Five Good Emperors? Flavian Dynasty Who was the Roman Emperor when Masada fell, and the Jewish rebellion ended? Titus Who was the general (later emperor) who was sent to put down the Jewish rebellion in Judea? Vespasian Who said the screams of the dying helped him sleep? Nero Who was quoted saying, "What a great artists the world loses in me," at his death? Nero Which emperor during the Pax Romana was known for his persecution of Christians? Nero Which emperor was known for his terrible poetry? Nero Who ruled when the great fire broke out in Rome, and was thought to have started it? Nero What major battle did Augustus Caesar fight and win? Actium Who was the first Roman emperor? Octavian Caesar What Emperor Marked the Beginning of the Decline of the Roman Empire? Commodus Who did the Pax Romana end with? Marcus Aurelius Pax Romana Began With Who? Augustus Caesar Last of the Five Good Emperors? Marcus Aurelius Fourth of the Five Good Emperors?

Antoninus Pius Third of the Five Good Emperors? Hadrian Second of the Five Good Emperors? Trajan First of the Five Good Emperors? Nerva Third and Last Emperor of the Flavian Dynasty? Domitian Second Emperor of the Flavian Dynasty? Titus First Emperor of the Flavian Dynasty? Vespasian Fifth, and Last Person of the Julio-Claudian Dynasty? Nero Fourth Person of the Julio-Claudian Dynasty? Claudius Third Person of the Julio-Claudian Dynasty? Caligula Second Person of the Julio-Claudian Dynasty? Tiberius Caesar Caligula Caligula Next The archetype for the Mad Roman Emperor, Caligula is said to have achieved a level of depravity and cruelty that none of his successors could beat (though several tried), and his name has become synonymous with sexual perversion and self-indulgence. Caligula As About this coin: This would be a remarkably handsome coin, had it not been ravaged by "bronze disease", an attack of chloride ions that can cause a coin to self-destruct in short order if not aggressively dealt with. It's still one of the best portraits of Caligula I've seen.

Caligula was declared emperor when his reclusive grand-uncle Tiberius died (perhaps with a little help from Caligula's friend, Macro). He ruled for just under four years. Caligula's mother and two brothers had been executed by Tiberius, yet Caligula still managed to gain Tiberius's trust and friendship. It appears that Tiberius, a bitter and reclusive old man, was aware of Caligula's propensities. Upon declaring Caligula his heir, Tiberius is quoted as saying, "I am rearing a viper for the Roman people". Caligula's real name was Gaius. He earned the nickname, "Caligula" (which roughly translates to "Little Boots") at age 2, when he appeared in front of the army in a miniature version of the full military outfit including army boots, or "caliga". He hated his nickname, and during his reign he punished anyone whom he caught using it. At first, Caligula's reign was a relief after Tiberius's paranoia.

But after an illness that might have been a nervous breakdown, Caligula began a series of murders of his friends and heirs, including Macro, the Praetorian commander who is alleged to have killed Tiberius for him. He went through wives in a hurry, including one woman who was in the process of marrying another man when Caligula stepped in during the wedding and took her for his own. (He divorced her two months later) He was also accused of an incestuous relationship with his sister, Drusilla, but that may have been an invention by his enemies. Caligula spent money lavishly on extravaganzas, such as building a two mile road across the surface of the Bay of Naples on top of a continuous line of merchant ships so he could race his chariot across it. Eventually, he exhausted the fortune left to him by Tiberius and began extorting and confiscating property. In this period, several serious murder conspiracies were hatched against him, including one involving two of his sisters (including Agrippina, mother of the future emperor Nero), whom he banished. His military accomplishments were nonexistent. He personally led and botched a campaign in Germany.

Nonetheless, he forced the Senate to award him a "triumph" when he returned to Rome. He was also planning a campaign in Britain, but he wouldn't live long enough to lead it himself, and it would be left to his successor, Claudius, to execute it. More and more, Caligula began to act as if he believed himself to be a god. He built a temple to himself, and forced the wealthy to pay him large sums of money to be his priests. It's not clear whether he was in earnest or whether this was simply a new way of extorting money from people that tickled his warped sense of humor. Finally, on 24 January, 41, a wide-ranging assassination plot succeeded. Caligula was stabbed to death as he left the Palatine Games. The only ones who seemed particularly upset by this were the Germans of the Imperial bodyguard, who ran amok, killing many innocent people in their hunt for the assassins.

Question: Which Roman emperor is known by a name which translates as 'Little Boots'?
Answer: CALIGULA